petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
| \ pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
Definition of petroleum
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
Examples of petroleum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the instruments used in the oil and gas industry focus on the deeper rocks, where petroleum is most likely to lurk. — Maya Wei-haas, National Geographic, "Hidden earthquake risk found lurking beneath Los Angeles," 30 Aug. 2019 Kennedy said that after Irma there have been no plans to increase petroleum shipments. — Andrew Boryga, sun-sentinel.com, "Hurricane Dorian evacuation: What to expect if you plan to travel ahead of storm," 29 Aug. 2019 As a result of the shale boom, the petroleum trade imbalance shrunk by $356 billion between 2005 and 2018. — Erin Douglas, Houston Chronicle, "Shale boom may have contributed 1 percent to U.S. GDP: analysis," 29 Aug. 2019 Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps has also repeatedly threatened to close the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which 21 percent of the world’s petroleum consumption passes. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Navy’s Mine-Hunting Drone Is Ready To Go," 27 Aug. 2019 Their products do not include fillers, propylene glycol, petrochemicals or petroleum by-products, and your skin will thank you for it. — Bianca Nieves, Teen Vogue, "The 12 Best Clean Beauty Brands Available on Amazon," 23 Aug. 2019 On the other hand, synthetic leather often uses petroleum at some point in its manufacturing, while traditional leather arguably is just a byproduct of dairy and meat production that would otherwise go to waste. — Denitsa Tsekova, Fortune, "Sizing Up Vegan Leather: Is It Just A Fad?," 23 Aug. 2019 Koch Supply & Trading A commodities trading firm that leverages experience in the transport, process, and use of raw materials on the markets, as well as transporting petroleum and managing vessels through Koch Shipping. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "This is the Koch Brothers empire," 23 Aug. 2019 In 2000, the company was fined $30 million for oil leaks from its pipelines and petroleum facilities, at the time the largest fine ever levied by the Environmental Protection Agency. — Bill Hewitt, Anchorage Daily News, "David Koch, billionaire industrialist who influenced conservative politics, dies at 79," 23 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'petroleum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for petroleum
petroleum
noun
English Language Learners Definition of petroleum
: a kind of oil that comes from below the ground and that is the source of gasoline and other products
See the full definition for petroleum in the English Language Learners Dictionary
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
| \ pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
Kids Definition of petroleum
: a raw oil that is obtained from wells drilled in the ground and that is the source of gasoline, kerosene, and other oils used for fuel
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
| \ pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm, -ˈtrōl-yəm
\
\
Medical Definition of petroleum
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
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